Mayor announces ‘affordable flats’ tower at Elephant and Castle

"A 44 storey tower development by Mace and Essential Living will provide 462 units of which 188 will be affordable. It will contain one of the largest number of homes for long-term private rental in the country when complete.

The Peabody Housing Trust has been appointed to manage the affordable housing element with 159 shared ownership and 29 rental units"

So basically 274 private units and 159 shared ownership where the starting salary needed prices most local people out of that. Then there's 29 rental units.

Question then is will those rental units be target rent (i.e same as local council place rents) or the new 'Affordable Rent' category where Peabody can charge up to 80% of private rental market rate.

The original planning application even when it was rejigged and accepted by the Council that the developers pleaded that they couldn't make it viable ('challenging market conditions'), had 35 rented units and lots of keyworker housing.

And all this on a site bought with taxpayers money for £18 million by the Homes And Community Agency.

We should all be very cynical of all the planning applications submitted to all councils in London and particularly those Of Lambeth and Southwark, especially Southwark. I cannot think of one planning decision made by Southwark and its officers where the ratepayers and those on the housing list have truly benefitted. Southwark sell off public land at giveaway prices, do not enforce their own policies and always end up with less affordable housing than is promised.
SOmething is rotten in the borough of Southwark. And an administration run as a cabinet will allow abuse to take place, it seems that non-cabinet councillors can be ignored or be browbeaten into agreeing with the select few and their perversion of the councils own policies.

In this news story, there is also reference to Southwark Playhouse having a new home - I thought agreement had been reached for them to return to the arches once construction on London Bridge station had been completed..@James Hatts - am I mistaken..?

In this news story, there is also reference to Southwark Playhouse having a new home - I thought agreement had been reached for them to return to the arches once construction on London Bridge station had been completed..@James Hatts - am I mistaken..?

We’re very pleased to say that, with your help, we have managed to secure ourselves a home in the London Bridge Station development which completes in 2018. Network Rail have commited to giving us 1,000 sq m of space and reasonable rent on a long term lease. This has all been signed and sealed in a section 106 agreement (which makes up part of the formal planning permission) which was signed off on 29th March 2012.

there was a recent item on tv that worked out the wages reuired for an affordable" home. In London you need to be earning £80k to actually afford one! the further out you go it gets less, down to about £35 way up north.... is an 80k income really affordable these days? I don't think so